A buoyancy compensator is used by a scuba diver to adjust his buoyancy during a dive. A scuba diver, especially one wearing a neoprene wetsuit is very buoyant at the surface of the water. In fact, lead weights are worn by scuba divers in order to assist them in descending from the surface. However, as a diver descends, air trapped within the neoprene suit tends to compress and reduce the diver's water displacement, making the diver less buoyant, whereas the lead weights continue their pull on the diver towards the bottom. In order to offset this natural condition of negative buoyancy, a buoyancy compensator is worn. As the diver descends, air is added to the air chamber in the buoyancy compensator to increase water displacement in order to maintain a neutral buoyancy at any level the diver prefers. As the diver ascends, air is released from the buoyancy compensator in order to prevent the diver from rising too quickly to the surface as the air trapped in his wetsuit expands.
Usually in combination with the buoyancy compensator, a backpack and harness system is used to connect the buoyancy compensator to a compressed air tank as well as to the diver. A buoyancy compensator includes an air chamber which may be a bladder formed of airtight material with an outer casing of flexible material or the buoyancy compensator may be formed of airtight material itself and eliminates any need for a separate bladder. The buoyancy compensator is usually directly connected to a compressed air tank so that the bladder can be power inflated at the push of a button. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,585, buoyancy compensators have evolved from inflatable life jacket types to a modern style which will maintain a low profile for reduced drag underwater and air chambers on the front of the diver have been eliminated to leave the shoulder and chest area open for freedom of movement. The new design disclosed herein takes this feature one step further by using a harness to support the tank and eliminate tank support stress on the air pocket portions of the buoyancy compensator.
A prior design is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,307 and inherently precludes a snug suspension system since portions of the shoulder straps inflate. The inflation and deflation of portions of the shoulder straps causes a constant length change between the inflated and deflated configurations, thereby preventing a snug fit. A close fitting support harness provides a superior fit, enabling better balance for the diver in and out of the water.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new buoyancy compensator having an improved backpack and harness system, the details of which will be described below.